#0048A Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer

Even though I don't like books that are sad, I really enjoyed this book. I've always been interested in Chris since I saw the movie. Yes, they tell you at the very beginning that he died so that's not ruining the book at all. To me, this book feels more like an essay than a nonfiction novel.

Most people believe Chris McCandless to be crazy. I mean what is a 20 something year old doing giving away all his money and possessions to trudge through America where the road is his home? What does he know about the wilderness? In my personal opinion, I believe he knew more than what most people thought and his death was more of a horrible accident than an act of stupidity. 4 stars

#0047A Sandstorm - James Rollins

I was completely surprised by this book. I have never read a James Rollins book before, but I've seen his name a lot from working in a bookstore. As you can tell, in the picture of the book, it says "NONSTOP ACTION ADVENTURE" They were not joking. There are 4 parts in the book which is broken down into chapters which is broken down into times. This book goes by days and hours and sometimes even minutes.

*spoiler* The only complaint I have about this book is none of the main characters die. This has happened in 3 books now and really it just makes it unrealistic in any world/fantasy. *spoiler*

But the action takes off right away with a huge explosion and every chapter is just so jam packed that I had a hard time putting it down. Another thing that I liked is that you knew what everyone was thinking. You knew what the bad guys were doing and then what the good guys were doing. That being said, if the good guys were falling into a trap that the bad guys set up, you already knew about it. I was literally talking back to the book. "No! Don't do that! It's a trap!" I have never done that before and now am a little embarrassed confessing that.

You like a thriller that has nonstop action adventure? This one is really good. 4 stars

#0046A The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

*****Some spoilers******
I remember working at Borders and this book coming out in paperback. We had to sell a certain amount of them every week and it was the easiest book to sell. It was already so popular overseas. Men and women alike were drawn to the book. I don't know if it was because of what they heard, or if it was the title or the bright neon yellow cover. I usually don't like reading things just because they are popular, but then I also had a great deal of people recommend it so I dived in.

"Just get through the first part of the book," they told me. "And you will get hooked." Well the first part of it was completely boring, so they were right...to an extent. It did get better for me after the first two chapters. Usually people shy away if the beginning doesn't grip you, but since I've made this goal for myself, I have trudged through several books so far that I just didn't like and I really really really wanted to put down.

After getting through the whole book (and I do mean getting through it) I placed this book in my bookcase all disappointed that I bought it. The book was pretty decent, I do have to say, but the content of the book is what bothered me. Was it just me, or did the main character sleep with ever important woman character in this book? Me being just a small bit feminist found this quite disgusting. It's not like that in real life. I know, I know, books aren't real life and whatever, but sometimes part of the story just doesn't seem real in it's own world. Women and men really shouldn't just go around sleeping with everyone, I mean it's not realistic that someone could get everyone around them.

I'm also a person that when I read a book I become the characters. That's why I hate reading sad books because all the "depressing" and "horrible" stuff happens to me. Watching movies are different for me, I can place myself out of the story mostly because I can see what the director wants me to see, but in books I can choose to make each world the way I want it to be. Frankly, I just can't help putting myself in these characters. I can be someone I'm not for a couple of hours. So, yeah, this book had a lot of rape and bad things throughout the book. I wasn't too happy about that.

For granted, the book did hold my attention and was exciting at times, but there was too much stuff eating at me throughout, so that's the reason why I didn't like it. Although, I can see why it's popular because all of the mystery, and why people like it. I don't judge. I think it's completely okay to disagree. 3 stars

#0045A The Austere Academy - Lemony Snicket

Book #5 of this series. Like I said earlier, I will update about all of them when I'm done. All I can say is that this particular book has made the series better. There are more characters to fall in love with and it makes me want to read the next book unlike the previous four. Not that they other ones are bad.

#0044A He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

If anything, this book offended me. I was always told that I should read this, so I gave in. It's not written like a story, for those who thought. I actually read this completely out of order. The chapters are on a different topic each time. A guy isn't into you if he doesn't call you, or he doesn't ask you out, or sleep with you. The message I got was that a guy should do everything and you have no say in the relationship. I know the book says that women are worth all of that, but it's not fun to just sit around and wait on your knight in shining armor. I think that is a load of crap. Women these days are more strong and more aggressive. We want to do things ourselves and if we ask out a guy, it doesn't make the guy any less manly. Just my opinion. And my opinion is I didn't like it. I just don't have anything else to say about it. 2 stars

#0043A Xenocide - Orson Scott Card

Book #3 of the Ender's Game Quartet. Xenocide was not as good as the 1st one or the 2nd one, but it was still very good. Ender is still on the planet Lusitania where humans and pequeninos live together in some sort of peace. Ender has also hidden away the Bugger's Queen on their planet as well so she can repopulate her species. Ender was actually the one who killed off that species of alien many many years ago. On Lusitania, there is a virus, called Descolada, that has infested everything. While it kills humans, it helps the pequeninos enter into their "3rd life". The humans have a short amount of time to figure out how to get rid of the virus without hurting the pequeninos before the Starway Congress gets to Lusitania and kills off everyone.

Of course this book ends where the 4th book begins so after a short while I'll get to Children of the Mind. Since I started this book, I got a new job and I've only been reading during my break so it took more than a month to finish this and it was 400 pages and the font is really really tiny, but I'm not making any excuses or anything ;) The only thing that made this book hard to go through was because there was a lot of dialogue and many time where you read just the thoughts of every character. But Card does a great job shaping characters and you grow to love each and every one. This book goes more in depth with certain people that you didn't hear about much in the other books, but I guess since this is a quartet I'm slowly getting through the entire story. I quite enjoyed it though. 4 stars

#0042A Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

I started reading this book and right away when I mentioned to people that I was reading it, I got a lot of "oh...you're reading that?" Of course this was just people's reaction because of the movie. I've gotten mixed reviews of the movie, but the book is usually always better. I've only come across one movie that was better than the book (in my opinion). Anyway, I pushed through it and I'm still not sure of what to think.

Many books written by Dennis Lehane have turned into movies. Usually they turn out pretty good, er well, to be honest I have not seen any of those, nor read any of his books before this one. I can honestly say that after reading the book, that I don't really want to see the movie. The book was pretty predictable, enough that I completely figured out the book entirely before I read through half of it. You hear about this particular story that the character is living, or has lived or whatever and then they go back over it at the end, in more detail, and now I probably won't be able to sleep because of all the horribleness of murder and craziness.

Lehane's writing was straight forward and full of profanity and seriously was quite an easy read. I did not have to think too much because it was so predictable. I don't think I was disappointed with the book. It kept my attention the entire time, it was just mediocre I guess is the correct word. 3 stars

#0041A A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson

Finally finished this one. I think I was on it for at least a month. I did, however, stop to read something else right while I was in the middle of this one. I just had to. I had an overload of information.

Another non-fiction read for me. I really did love the story part of the book. Bryson and his overweight friend Stephen Katz decide to hike the entire Appalachian Trail which is from Georgia to Maine. They would have to hike 2,100+ miles through many states to reach their goal. When he talked about their hiking, I was completely enthralled with the book. He does some sort of a sense of humor, but not as much as everyone told me. I don't think I laughed at loud once through the book, so I was a bit disappointed. The other half of the book was about historical facts of the AT and other stories of how people came across bears, or died different ways hiking through different parts of the trail. I did find a bit of the book to be boring since most of the book was historical facts, but if anything this book made me want to hike more than I do. I would not ever try to hike the AT, just because I can't lift heavy things without hurting myself.

I followed Bryson quite well so his writing was pretty straight forwards and easy to read. I guess I'm getting more and more picky of what I like when it comes to books, but I'm still open to read all different kinds. Anyway, 3 stars for this one too.

#0040A Furies of Calderon - Jim Butcher

I was half way through one book and had to put it down because I grew tired of it and I was handed this one, so I started it right away. I've heard good reviews of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (which he is known for) and when I looked up his Codex Alera series I got mixed reviews. Since I haven't read any of his books, I could not expect anything with this series and see what I thought about Butcher without any prior knowledge.

I really enjoyed the storyline of Tavi, the only boy of his kind, without a fury (poor kid) and Amara, the girl Cursor. I found myself getting excited to find out that the next chapter was about one of those characters. There were some good fighting scenes and a lot of character development (many had names that started with B). I got to one extremely good chapter, involving Tavi and the Keepers (around chapter 30). Sadly that was the only portion of the book where I couldn't put it down. I guess I'm not into books that deal with politics and war.

I liked the way Butcher used magic in this book and you grow to love certian characters over others. I didn't like that one guy basically died twice and then was brought back to life both times. Even though I liked that particular character, I thought it would have been okay to let one of the main characters die (since this book has 10, and that's probably exaggerating a bit). Just the fact that there is so much going on and nothing terrible happens to anyone is a bit unbelieveable even if it is a fantasy. Butcher also liked to discribe everything completely. He seemed to want you to have no say in what his world is like. That is okay, really. Some authors do not want you "messing up" with how their characters/surroundings look. Audrey Niffenegger is like that as well and I enjoyed her books. And with that, I give it eh, a 2.7-3 stars. I really wished the whole book was more like that one chapter, then it wouldn't have taken me 3 weeks to read this.

#0039A The LIghtning Thief - Rick Riordan

I read this one a few months ago. I haven't gotten around to posting it just because of a life changing decision, but all is well now and I can finally get back to what I love doing. You know me, I love books for 12 year olds. If only there could be this much action in adult books then maybe I would enjoy them more. I choose not to see this in theaters just because of the reviews and really since the book was good I just don't want to ruin it. I really hate that many children don't like reading, especially young boys. I can almost guarantee that any 10-12 year old boy would love this book. There is plenty of excitement, good friendships, and epic battles to make them want to read the rest of the series. 4 stars

#0036-38A - Lemony Snicket

I've decided that I just post more when I finish the series. Finished book the fourth a few days ago. There are 13 books so I'll be reading other books in between the series or I'll get burned out on them, like I did with Harry Potter. Anyway here's an update. The books do seem a bit repetitive with how they jump from relative to relative (I totally agree, Hannah), but each book has some fun adventure. Anyway I'll save more for the end when I dig deeper into the books. (although the book I'm reading now is not in the series.)

Also I side note. I did hear that Lemony Snicket is writing a new book. Don't know if that's totally true, but when I was working in a bookstore that was a rumor. Okay kids, get excited!

#0035A Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

This was my first Mitch Albom book. It might be my last though. I knew what I was getting into. Everyone knows Morrie dies at the end. I'm not one for sad stories. To make matters worse is it was a true story. It does have a few good lessons in it. I'm not saying it was a bad book. It was very good. I like how Morrie was portrayed and how you saw how he was even though his body was decaying right before your eyes. Morrie had a great spirit to the end. Maybe I just don't like the kind of "self-help" books. Would this even be in the self-help section? I can see how it could help people take their lives into consideration and change it. This reminded me of the book "The Last Lecture" except Morrie didn't write this. I wonder how it would have been different if Morrie wrote a book about his Tuesdays with Mitch.

Wow, I'm a scatterbrain today. 4 stars

#0034A The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket

I was always interested in reading this series. The books are very short and very easy to read...yep a children book. Good stories should not be saved for adults. Even yesterday when I was at a used bookstore I was browsing the teen/kid section and a young girl came up to me and said "uh...you have a kid eh?" Nope, I sure don't, but she was just so utterly shocked that I read "kid" books. Anyway, I've seen the movie and didn't really enjoy it, but I got the entire series for really really cheap and everyone knows that the book is better than the movie.

The Bad Beginning was well written and I love how Lemony Snicket warns you throughout the book that there is no happiness within this book. Although, just the children being able to keep their new "father" away from their money is a good ending in itself. And then there are still 12 more books to the series. I just hope the rest are as good as the first. 4 stars

#0033A I Am Legend - Richard Matheson

I was so completely surprised. I Am Legend is absolutely nothing like the movie. I mean you have the same dry plot of some undead creature is out to kill the last human. That is it. That is the only similarity. I seriously could not put the book down. I'm not one for horror books, but this one wasn't really scary. I mean I do confess that in one part of the book Robert was getting chased and my phone rang and I jumped pretty violently, but that's it. This book caught me from the beginning and I knew I wouldn't be able to get any of my schooling done before I finished.

I really don't want to talk about it too much, but just know that the movie does not do this book justice. Even if the movie had the amazing Will Smith in it. This is one of the few books that after I finished it I just sat there in awe thinking about the book as a whole. This is the best vampire book out there. Forget Twilight. This is how vampires are suppose to be. 5 stars

#0032A Ellen Foster - Kaye Gibbons

First book of the new year. It literally took me a month and a half to read it. It was only 126 pages. Add a new online class, moving, and not wanting to really read it to begin with in the picture and that's why it took a month and a half. I was told this book was amazing.....eh. I found out that I don't like "southern" books. Even though I am "southern" it is still hard for me to keep up. I don't like being reminded about the southern stereotypes and whatnot.

I guess I don't like sad book either unless I am in need of a good cry, in this case I wasn't. It was sad and hopeful, I would guess. Ellen is a young child whose mother killed herself and her father beat her and drank himself to death. She was passed around like an old toy and no one seemed to like her. I, on the other hand, liked Ellen. I liked her spunk and personality. She was usually optimistic about things even through all the crap she was dealing with. That's probably the only thing I liked. I just kept thinking about what else could possibly happen to little ol' Ellen. I can't remember what I originally gave this book, in terms of stars, so I'll give it a solid 3 stars just because it wasn't an awful book, it just wasn't my cup of tea.