RSS

Category action/adventure

2013: #8 – Notorious Nineteen (Janet Evanovich)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in audio, comedy, romantic adventure; Tagged with , ; February 27th, 2013
notorious

Title: Notorious Nineteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum #19
Format: Kindle
Pages:  320
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Publisher: Bantam
Source: personal copy

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape . . . or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.

The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone . . . or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory. . .

My thoughts:

Once you’ve reached the 19th book in a series, there’s not a whole lot to say about new installments. At least, not in this series. This was really just more of the same. Stephanie + Lula + Morelli + Ranger + some weirdo skips = hijinks. While the same old, same old works well for the straight romances Evanovich used to write, it’s not working for a series this long. I did like the mystery in this one more than the last one — at least it made some sense to me. But otherwise, this series just doesn’t excite me any more. It might be time for Stephanie to take everyone’s advice and retire.

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | WorldCat

Other reviews:

  • “I think the main thing that’s getting me down with the latest Stephanie Plum books is that the series is just going on for way too long.” — I’d So Rather Be Reading
  • “Another reviewer complained that Stephanie doesn’t grow as a character, she’s always broke, she’s bad at her job and she can’t make her mind between Ranger and Morelli.  What gives?  I read the books for all those reasons.” — Romance & Beyond
  • “I’m relieved Evanovich has returned to classic Stephanie Plum.  Things were getting a little silly there for a while.” — Peppermint Ph.D.

2012: #57 – Charmed and Dangerous (Toni McGee Causey)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure; Tagged with , ; December 11th, 2012
charmed

Title: Charmed and Dangerous
Author: Toni McGee Causey
Series: Bobbie Faye #01
Format: Kindle
Pages:  340
Release Date: 2007
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: personal copy

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

When Bobbie Faye wakes up on the morning of the Lake Charles Contraband Days Festival, she’s looking forward to balloons, booze, and babies in pirate costumes. Instead, she discovers that her trailer’s flooded, her no-good brother’s been kidnapped, and the criminals are demanding her mom’s tiara as ransom.

Soon Bobbie Faye is committing (unintentional) bank robbery and (fully intentional) car jacking to retrieve her family heirloom. The one bright spot comes in the hard-muscled, impossibly sexy form of Trevor, the guy whose truck she just took hostage. Luckily, Bobbie Faye knows how to outsmart angry bears, drive a speedboat, and handle a gun. As for handling Trevor? No gun-shyness there. Now, if only that pesky state police detective, who also happens to be a pissed-off ex-boyfriend, would stay out of her way…

My thoughts:

This book sat on my to-read list for so long that it actually changed names! This used to be called Bobbie Faye’s Very (very, very, very) Bad Day. I have no idea why the books in this series changed titles… It’s very (very, very, very) confusing.

Regardless of the title, this was a story I enjoyed. It’s non-stop action from the first page to the last, with a whole lot of humor and a touch of heart. Bobbie Faye reminds me a little of Stephanie Plum, only more of a disaster. The “testimonials” at the start of each chapter, where Bobbie Faye’s dangerousness is exclaimed, are more than a little over the top. In fact, everything about Bobbie Faye is over the top, and I wish she had been toned down a bit. I also wish we had a little more time to get to know Bobbie Faye in her normal world before everything went to hell. There is just no room to breathe in the story.

But overall, it was an entertaining read. I’ll be reading the next book, no matter the title.

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | WorldCat

Other reviews:

  • “This book is supposed to be a wacky whirlwind of a screwball southern action farce but it doesn’t get near to being the funny fast-paced ruckus of a joyful romp that the writer Toni McGee Causey seems to think it is.” — Reviewing the Evidence

2012: #26 – Explosive Eighteen (Janet Evanovich)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, bounty hunters, comedy, featured reviews, romantic adventure; Tagged with , ; July 23rd, 2012

Title: Explosive Eighteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum #18
Format: Kindle
Pages:  352 (2012 total – 6,537)
Approx. Word Count: 88,000 (2012 total – 1,814,214)
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Bantam
Categories: humor, romantic adventure
Source: personal copy
Rating: 3 out of 5

Back of the book:

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.
 
Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.
 
Only one other person has seen the missing photo—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.
 
Over at the bail bonds agency things are going from bad to worse. The bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke. Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their largest skip yet. Lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment. And everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii.  And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated.

My thoughts:

After a string of 4 or 5 lackluster books, I feel like Evanovich has managed to breathe at least a little bit of new life into this stale series. Some things haven’t changed – Stephanie’s still not the greatest bounty hunter, has horrible luck with cars, and can’t make up her mind about either Morelli OR Ranger. Though after her disastrous Hawaiian vacation, she’s not particularly anxious to be face-to-face with either of them.

Stephanie actually does a fairly good job of fending for herself in this one, fighting off fake FBI agents and apartment intruders with no outside help. Unfortunately, this also meant we didn’t see nearly enough of either guy. And I could do with a little bit less Lula. She’s actually managed to become a caricature of herself, all tight clothes and buckets of chicken.

As for the mystery of what’s in the photo, I found that part of the plot more than a little implausible. It felt like Evanovich was making a jump into technology that she really wasn’t prepared for.

I think it’s going to take a lot to get this series back to where it was at its peak, but this one was entertaining enough to keep me reading until the end. But maybe Stephanie can find some personal growth in the next one?

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | WorldCat

Other reviews:

  • “I am getting off the crazy train. If I want to read cars getting blown up, her sneaky snarkness, and some hot glimpses of two actual men…I’ll read the early plum books.” – Badass Book Reviews
  • “This is the worst Stephanie Plum yet; I’m so disappointed.” — Peppermint Ph.D.
  • “If you’re looking for an entertaining read filled with mishaps, explosions/fires, funerals, mysterious people turning up in Stephanie’s apartment and Stephanie stuck between her love for two men this would be your read.” — Mrs Q: Book Addict

Past reviews:

2011: Heads You Lose (Lisa Lutz & David Hayward)
2010: What Do We Do Now? (Keith Malley & Chemda)
2009: Soul Catcher (Michael C. White)
2008: Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
2007: Full House (Janet Evanovich)
2006: Judgement in Death (J.D. Robb)
2005: The Sigma Protocol (Robert Ludlum)

2011: #64 – Dead Man's Walk (Larry McMurtry)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, featured reviews, western; Tagged with , ; October 25th, 2011

deadmanswalk Book #64 was Dead Man’s Walk, the first book (chronologically) in Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove series. The back of the book reads:

Dead Man’s Walk is the first, extraordinary book in the epic Lonesome Dove tetralogy, in which Larry McMurtry breathed new life into the vanished American West and created two of the most memorable heroes in contemporary fiction: Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call.

As young Texas Rangers, Gus and Call have much to learn about survival in a land fraught with perils: not only the blazing heat and raging tornadoes, roiling rivers and merciless Indians but also the deadly whims of soldiers. On their first expeditions–led by incompetent officers and accompanied by the robust, dauntless whore known as the Great Western–they will face death at the hands of the cunning Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump and the silent Apache Gomez. They will be astonished by the Mexican army. And Gus will meet the love of his life.

Matilda Jane Roberts was naked as the air. Known throughout south Texas as the Great Western, she came walking up from the muddy Rio Grande holding a big snapping turtle by the tail.

What great imagery to start off a novel with! After being less than thrilled with The Sisters Brothers, I was hungry for a more classic (in style and content, not age) western. Lonesome Dove has been on my TBR list for a while, so I decided to start off with the chronological first book in the series.

Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call fancy themselves rangers in 1840s Texas. Unfortunately for them, it’s a very dangerous time in that part of the country. Comanche Indians roam the land, and the troops are not at all equipped to handle their speed, stealth, and cunning. One in particular, Buffalo Hump, seems to have his eye on Gus and Call, and would like nothing more than to add their scalps to his belt.

The Rangers’ expeditions, particularly the one to Santa Fe where they plan to defeat the Mexicans, are (obviously to the reader) inept, ill-equipped, and led by men who have no idea what they are walking (usually literally) in to. Things go from bad to worse, and you start to wonder how the heck they are going to get out of the desert and back to safety.

McMurtry’s characters are colorful and varied, and you feel their fright, misery, and hopelessness. This book is generally believed to be not as good as Lonesome Dove, and if that’s the case, I know I have something really great to look forward to.

Other reviews:

Book Chase: Dead Man’s Walk
The Amazing Adulthood of Alexis: Review: Dead Man’s Walk by Larry McMurtry

Page count: 464 (’11 total: 17,950) | Word count: 160,365 (’11 total: 6,346,557)

2010: Dead in the Family (Charlaine Harris)
2009: High Noon (Nora Roberts)
2008: A Living Nightmare (Darren Shan)
2007: The End (Lemony Snicket)
2006: Narcissus in Chains (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005: Nora, Nora (Anne Rivers Siddons)

2011: #57 – The Sisters Brothers (Patrick deWitt)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, general fiction, western; Tagged with ; September 17th, 2011

sistersbrothers Book #57 was The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. The back of the book reads:

Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn’t share his brother’s appetite for whiskey and killing, he’s never known anything else. But their prey isn’t an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Warm’s gold-mining claim outside Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living–and whom he does it for.

With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters–losers, cheaters, and ne’er-do-wells from all stripes of life–and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.

I have really mixed feelings about this book. There is currently a huge amount of buzz about it since it’s just been short-listed for the Man Booker prize, but it really didn’t speak to me. It’s unfortunate, because a childhood of watching John Wayne movies with my great-grandmother has given me a soft spot for westerns.

The strength of the book is in the narrator. Eli Sisters has an unusual voice: somewhat deadpan, with glimpses of eloquence. He’s a conflicted character. While his brother Charlie is a killer through and through, Eli has a conscience that rears its ugly head from time to time. He has a soft spot for his injured horse (whose plight made me awfully sad), but can shoot a man without a second thought.

If it wasn’t so violent, this book could be considered a comedy of errors. For me, it was less about their journey and more about how they reacted when things went wrong.

I wish I could say I liked the book more. Despite the compelling narrator, I had a hard time liking any of the characters. I could *almost* like Eli, but there was still something missing. Something to make him human. Also, despite having extremely short chapters (2-3 pages in most cases), it was a very slow read. It took me a couple of weeks to get through the book. I just wasn’t excited to pick it up at night.

This book was a review copy.

Other reviews:

The Mookse and the Gripes » Patrick deWitt: The Sisters Brothers
THE SISTERS BROTHERS – Patrick deWitt – Brain Candy Book Reviews
The Sisters Brothers – Too Many Books, Too Little Time – WordPress
The Sisters Brothers « {Book Atlas}
Hooked on Books: Review: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt

Page count: 336 (’11 total: 15,742) | Approximate word count: 100,800 (’11 total: 5,554,670)

2010: Possessed (Kate Cann)
2009: Reunion (Therese Fowler)
2008: Fearless Fourteen (Janet Evanovich)
2007: Windmills of the Gods (Sidney Sheldon)
2006: The Weatherman (Steve Thayer)
2005: To the Nines (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: ARC Reading Challenge 2011; Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011;

2011: #54 – Motor Mouth (Janet Evanovich)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, comedy, featured reviews, romantic adventure; Tagged with , ; September 11th, 2011

motormouthBook #54 was Motor Mouth, the second book in Janet Evanovich’s Alex Barnaby series. The back of the book reads:

Miami is still freakin’ humid. The nights are even hotter. And there’s a body on ice. And that’s just the beginning of this adrenaline-rush of a hot-wired ride from phenomenal number one New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich.

A woman with a taste for speed and a talent for breaking the rules, Barney also knows a little too much about cheating. First there was Hooker and that salesclerk. Now she’s convinced one of the competitors is up to no good on the track. Snooping to find evidence, Hooker and Barney "borrow" a NASCAR hauler. Turns out, the hauler is carrying two race cars and a dead guy. It looks like Barney and Hooker are facing multiple counts of grand theft auto and homicide.

So buckle up as Barney, Hooker, a 150-pound bundle of Saint Bernard love named Beans, and the Super Cigar Ladies Felicia and Rosa shift into gear on a wild race around South Florida and Concord, North Carolina.

Everything you always wanted to know about righteous indignation, stealing an eighteen-wheeler, and sex in the fast lane.

This is an entertaining read, but it doesn’t go very deep. Barney and Hooker make one bad decision, and it leads them into a whole mess of trouble. The NASCAR details are interesting, and the fast pace makes for a nice diversion, but there’s nothing here we haven’t seen before.

Other reviews:

Book Review: Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich – My Years of Reading Seriously
Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich (Mystery Book Review)
Book Review: Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich
BookLoons Reviews – Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich
Between the Covers: Book Review: Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich

Page count: 384 (’11 total: 14,686) | Approximate word count: 96,000 (’11 total: 5,273,870)

2010: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint (Nancy Kress)
2009: The Black Tower (Louis Bayard)
2008: Plum Lucky (Janet Evanovich)
2007: Grave Peril (Jim Butcher)
2006: Twelve Sharp (Janet Evanovich)
2005: Hot Six (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2011; Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011;

2011: #52 – Smokin' Seventeen (Janet Evanovich)

3 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, bounty hunters, comedy, featured reviews, romantic adventure; Tagged with , ; September 7th, 2011

seventeenBook #52 was Smokin’ Seventeen, the seventeenth book in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. The back of the book reads:

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.

Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke.

This had everything you expect from a Stephanie Plum novel: a couple of wacky captures, a destroyed car or two, Grandma terrorizing the funeral home, lots of Lulu, and some hot lovin’ between Stephanie and Morelli (or Ranger) (or both). Unfortunately, I really think it’s time to either shake up the formula a bit or to shut down the series completely.

Stephanie does a few things that are out of character when it comes to her love life, but I’m starting to wonder if the triangle (and I use that term loosely, since it’s mostly all talk no action with Ranger) will ever be resolved.

And while the serial killer storyline was vaguely interesting, it was also as transparent as a window. By the time the second body showed up, I knew who the killer was.

I suppose I’ll continue reading the series, but my excitement for it is waning.

Other reviews:

The Brazen Bookworm: Book Review: Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Reflections of a Bookaholic: Review: Smokin’ Seventeen
Review: Smokin’ Seventeen {Stephanie Plum #17} by Janet Evanovich
Review: Smokin’ Seventeen « Bermudaonion’s Weblog
Duffbert’s Random Musings :: Book Review – Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

Page count: 320 (’11 total: 14,078) | Approximate word count: 80,000 (’11 total: 5,121,870)

2010: Pay Dirt (Rita Mae Brown)
2009: Sunny Chandler’s Return (Sandra Brown)
2008: Sharp Teeth (Toby Barlow)
2007: The Apprentice (Tess Gerritsen)
2006: The Winds of War (Herman Wouk)
2005: Four to Score (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: 2011 E-book Reading Challenge; Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011;

2010: #97 – Don't Look Down (Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio, featured reviews, romance; Tagged with , ; December 4th, 2010

dontlookdown Book #97 was Don’t Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer.  The back of the book reads:

SHE is a director of dog food commercials who’s just been recruited to finish a four-day movie shoot. But as soon as Lucy Armstrong arrives on set, she discovers that the staff is in chaos, the make-up artist is suicidal, and the stunt director just happens to be her ex-husband. That, and the temperamental lead actor has just acquired as an advisor a Green Beret who has the aggravating habit of always being right.

HE thought that hiring on as a military consultant for a movie star was a to-die-for deal: easy work, easy money, easier starlets. But his first day on the job, Captain J.T. Wilder ends up babysitting a bumbling comedian, dodging low-flying helicopters, and trying to find out who’s taking "shooting a movie" much too literally.

I have mixed feelings about this.  First, the audio production I listened to was really odd, with the different male/female points of view and male/female dialog done by different narrators (male for male, female for female, of course).  It was a little jarring at times, and I think it contributed to the outrageousness of the story. The plot is weak and unnecessarily confusing (I’m still not entirely certain what was going on in the end), and characters are so over-the-top they border on cartoonish.  I guess this could be good or bad, depending on your point of view. I’d read more from Crusie, but I might shy away from this particular combination of authors in the future.

Other reviews:

REVIEW: Don’t Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer | Dear Author
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Audiobook length: 11 hrs 51 min | Approximate word count: 96,000

2009: Huge (James W. Fuerst)
2008: The Book of Three (Lloyd Alexander)
2007: Three Act Tragedy (Agatha Christie)
2006: The Kill Artist (Daniel Silva)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2nd Reading Challenge; Audiobook Challenge; Four Month Challenge – Part 5; Countdown Challenge 2011;

2010: #7 – Pacific Vortex! (Clive Cussler)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, featured reviews; Tagged with ; February 4th, 2010

pacificvortex Book #7 was Pacific Vortex!, the first Dirk Pitt story by Clive Cussler.  The back of the book reads:

Dirk Pitt’s first, most terrific adventure! Dirk Pitt, death-defying adventurer and deep-sea expert, is out to the ultimate test as he plunges into the perilous waters of the Pacific Vortex — a fog-shrouded sea zone where dozens of ships have vanished without a trace. The latest victim is the awesome superb Starbuck, America’s deep-diving nuclear arsenal. Its loss poses an unthinkable threat to national defense. Pitt’s job is to find it, salvage it, before the sea explodes. In a furious race against time, Pitt’s mission swirls him into a battle with underwater assassins-and traps him in the arms of Summer Moran, the most stunningly exotic and dangerous toward disaster, Clive Cussler plummets his hero onto an ancient sunken island-the astonishing setting for the explosive climax of Pacific Vortex!

This was the first Dirk Pitt story Clive Cussler wrote, though it wasn’t published until 8 years after the first book was published. Dirk is a little rough around the edges here, but he’s lacking a little of the machismo/misogyny that plagues him in the first few books in the series. This is a good thing.  In fact, Pitt uncharacteristically falls in love in this book, and you have to wonder if that puts his behavior in the next several stories in a different light.  Regardless of Pitt’s behavior with the ladies, this story gives you exactly what you expect from Clive Cussler — action, adventure, and a completely unbelievable plot, complete with pontificating bad guy. All things I love when Cussler is involved. Overall, this is a quick, fun read.

Page count: 288 | Approximate word count: 72,000

2009: Plum Spooky (Janet Evanovich)
2008: Gone (Lisa Gardner)
2007: The Dark Tower (Stephen King)
2006: Whiteout (Ken Follett)
2005: Twisted (Jonathan Kellerman)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Reading From My Shelves Project; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; TwentyTen Challenge; What’s in a Name? 3 Challenge;

2009: #109 – Vixen 03 (Clive Cussler)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio; Tagged with ; October 22nd, 2009

vixen Book #109 was Vixen 03, the fifth book in Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series.  The back of the book reads:

1954. Vixen 03 is down. The  plane, bound for the Pacific carrying thirty-six  Doomsday bombs — canisters armed with quick-death  germs of unbelievable potency — vanishes. Vixen has  in fact crashed into an ice-covered lake in  Colorado. 1988. Dirk Pitt, who heroically raised  the Titanic, discovers the wreckage of  Vixen 03. But two deadly canisters  are missing. They’re in the hands of a terrorist  group. Their lethal mission: to sail a battleship  seventy-five miles up the Potomac and blast  Washington, D.C., to kingdom come. Only Dirk can stop them.

I think this is the point where Cussler starts to hit his prime with the Dirk Pitt series.  Dirk has grown out of most of his early ultra-misogynistic tendencies, and is even showing some serious feelings for Congresswoman Loren Smith. In fact, he is spending some "alone time" with her at her father’s cabin in Colorado when he makes a series of discoveries that lead him to the wreck of Vixen 03, an Air Force plane that had been presumed lost in the Pacific over 30 years previously.  What you really don’t expect is for this aircraft to eventually tie in to the fight against Apartheid in South Africa and an aggrieved retired Royal Navy captain.  There’s not a lot of NUMA in this, though there are a couple of appearances by Al Giordino and Admiral Sandecker. You do get one of Cussler’s usual big finishes, complete with all of the unbelievability and close calls that make this series so much fun to read.

Audio length: 10 hrs 50 min | Approximate word count: 96,000

2007: Nothing Lost (John Gregory Dunne)
2006: The Falls (Ian Rankin)

2009: #98 – Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)

4 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, fantasy, futuristic, young adult; Tagged with ; October 3rd, 2009

catchfire Book #98 was Catching Fire, the second book in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy.  The back of the book reads:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

This was a highly anticipated book, and it definitely did not disappoint. I actually pre-ordered this, something I haven’t done since Harry Potter #5. The story picks up almost a year after the Hunger Games ended, with Katniss and Peeta now living in the winner’s village and trying to recover some semblance of a normal life. Katniss still isn’t sure how to deal with Peeta and Gale and definitely isn’t sure how she truly feels about either of them. And worse of all, it will soon be time for another Games, and no one knows what the Capitol has planned for the Quarter Quell, the 75th anniversary of the games. Katniss knows she is still on the President’s naughty list, and there’s no way she can feel safe.

I refuse to post any spoilers, but I assure you that it’s not what you expect. This book is a lot more political, as we learn more about the districts and how life truly is throughout Panem.  There’s not quite as much suspense or heavy violence here as in The Hunger Games, but the ending will leave you breathless and dying for the next book. 

Other reviews:

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins – REVIEW « Karin’s Book Nook
Devourer of Books » Catching Fire – *spoiler free* Book Review
Wands and Worlds: Book Review: Catching Fire
Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Persnickety Snark: Review – Catching Fire / Suzanne Collins

Page count: 400 | Approximate word count: 80,000

2008: Any Given Doomsday (Lori Handeland)
2007: A Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin)
2006: A Dangerous Fortune (Ken Follett)

Used in these Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge 2009; 2nds Challenge; Read Your Own Books Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010;

2009: #5 – Five on a Treasure Island (Enid Blyton)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio, featured reviews, young adult; Tagged with ; January 15th, 2009

fivetreasureisland Book #5 was Five on a Treasure Island, the first book in Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series.  The back of the book reads:

The very first “Famous Five” adventure, featuring Julian, Dick, Anne, not forgetting tomboy George and her beloved dog, Timmy! There’s a shipwreck off Kirrin Island! But where is the treasure? The Famous Five are on the trail – looking for clues – but they’re not alone! Someone else has got the same idea. Time is running out for the Famous Five, who will follow the clues and get to the treasure first?

This is a YA/children’s series I’ll be working on for the Daring Book Challenge. It’s the first I’ve heard of this series, and I wish I’d known about it as a child.  I quite enjoyed it! In this first book, you are introduced to siblings Julian, Dick, and Anne, their cousin George (the ultimate tomboy), and her dog Timmy.  I wasn’t expecting the fifth of the five to be a dog, but he turns out to be a pretty important part of the team.  I thought this was a great little adventure story with some twists I didn’t expect, and it holds up well nearly 70 years after it was written.  I’ll have no problem listening to/reading more of these.

Audiobook Length: 6hrs 30m| Approximate word count: 30,000

2008 – I Heard That Song Before (Mary Higgins Clark)
2007 – Up Island (Anne Rivers Siddons)
2006 – The Big Love (Sarah Dunn)
2005 – The Reptile Room (Lemony Snicket)

Used in these Challenges: The Genre Challenge; 100+ Reading Challenge 2009; 1st in a Series Challenge; 2009 Audiobook Challenge; The 999 Challenge; A-Z 2009 Challenge; Daring Book Challenge – Tract 4

2008: #17 – Relic (Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure; Tagged with , ; February 24th, 2008

19386015.JPGBook #17 was Relic, the first book in the Pendergast series co-written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The back of the book reads:

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum’s dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human…But the museum’s directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders. Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?

This is a series I’ve been curious about, so I decided to take the plunge. This was pretty good, especially in the action parts. I did find myself skimming some of the drier sciencey parts. It kept me interested enough that I’ll continue on with the series.

Page count: 468 | Word count: 111,514

2007: At Bertram’s Hotel (Agatha Christie)
2006: Cerulean Sins (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005: The Hearing (John Lescroart)

2007: #85 – Raise the Titanic! (Clive Cussler)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio; Tagged with ; August 6th, 2007

Book #85 was Raise the Titanic!, the fourth book in Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series. The back of the book reads:

The President’s secret task force develops the ultimate defensive weapon. At its core: byzanium, a radioactive element so rare sufficient quantities have never been found. But a frozen American corpse on a desolate Soviet mountainside, a bizarre mining accident in Colorado, and a madman’s dying message lead DIRK PITT~ to a secret cache of byzanium. Now he begins his most thrilling, daunting mission — to raise from its watery grave the shipwreck of the century!

In a daring gamble, DIRK PITT locates the Titanic — and suddenly his crew is in deadly jeopardy. Sabotaged by Russian spies and savage storms, Pitt must stop a diabolical plan for Soviet world supremacy — or see the mighty Titanic blasted out of existence!

This is the best Dirk Pitt novel I’ve read yet! It was written 9 years before the Titanic was actually discovered by Robert Ballard (whose JASON organization I actually interned for once upon a time), so it was interesting to see how Cussler envisioned it (especially since he didn’t yet know that the ship was in two pieces). I’m used to there being some big bad evil conglomerate in Cussler’s books, but the biggest, baddest evil in this book was the weather!

The only thing I would dock this book for is the way Cussler writes women. I hate the way he writes women and about women at this stage in his career. It’s very chauvinistic, and it seems like every flaw a woman character has is entirely due to her gender. Thankfully, he seems to move past that in later years.

I can see why they tried to make a movie of this. Too bad they screwed it up! There could have been a Dirk Pitt franchise that rivaled James Bond.

Page count: 448 | Word count: 106,501

2006 – Glory in Death (J.D. Robb)

2007: #64 – The End (Lemony Snicket)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, young adult; Tagged with ; June 17th, 2007

Book #64 was The End, the 13th and final book in Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events. The back of the book reads:

Dear Reader,

You are presumably looking at the back of this book, or the end of the end. The end of the end is the best place to begin the end, because if you read the end from the beginning of the beginning of the end to the end of the end of the end, you will arrive at the end of the end of your rope.

This book is the last in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and even if you braved the previous twelve volumes, you probably can’t stand such unpleasantries as a fearsome storm, a suspicious beverage, a herd of wild sheep, an enormous bird cage, and a truly haunting secret about the Baudelaire parents.

It has been my solemn occupation to complete the history of the Baudelaire orphans, and at last I am finished. You likely have some other occupation, so if I were you I would drop this book at once, so the end does not finish you.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

This was an interesting end to the series. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but I don’t think it would fit in with the rest of the series if everything was explained. While I can’t say it was a completely happy ending for the Baudelaires, I think they’ve reached a happy medium.

As a whole, I adored this series. It was intelligent and creative and unique and gloriously dark for something meant for 9-12 year olds. I can’t wait to some day read it to my children.

Page count: 335 | Approximate word count: 52,582

2006 – Narcissus in Chains (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005 – Nora, Nora (Anne Rivers Siddons)

2007: #35 – Iceberg (Clive Cussler)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio; Tagged with ; March 26th, 2007

Book #35 was Iceberg, the 3rd book in Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series. The back of the book reads:

Frozen inside a million-ton mass of ice–the charred remains of a long-missing luxury yacht, vanished en route to a secret White House rendezvous. The only clue to the ship’s priceless–and missing–cargo: nine ornately carved rings and the horribly burned bodies of its crew.

Worst Dirk Pitt novel ever. Instead of the charming, rakish Pitt of the later novels we get this really offensive version. I don’t know if it was just a sign of the times (the book was published in 1975) or what, but I didn’t like it. His usual sidekicks are conspicuously missing, and the mystery just wasn’t as interesting as I’m used to from Cussler.

Page count: 352 | Word count: 56,492

2006: #86 – Polar Shift (Clive Cussler)

By Jaime Filed in action/adventure; Tagged with ; October 10th, 2006

polar.gifBook #86 was Polar Shift, the 6th book in Clive Cussler’s NUMA files series. The back of the book reads:

Polar shift: It is the name for a phenomenon that may have occurred many times in the past. At the very least, it disorients birds and animals and damages electrical equipment. At its worst, it causes massive eruptions, earthquakes, and climatic changes. At its very worst, it would mean the obliteration of all living matter, and if that happens—exit Earth.

Sixty years ago, an eccentric Hungarian genius discovered how to artificially trigger such a shift, but then his work was lost, or so it was thought. Now, the charismatic leader of an anti-globalization group plans to use the work to give the world’s industrialized nations a small jolt, then reverse the shift back again. The only problem is, it cannot be reversed. Once the shift starts, there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Austin, Zavala, and the rest of the NUMA Special Assignments Team certainly have faced dire situations before, but never have they encountered anything like this. This time . . . even they may be too late.

I like Cussler’s books because the plots are so out-of-this-world over-the-top. And he makes them believeable! Kurt Austin is pretty much Dirk Pitt with another name, but that doesn’t bother me so much. It just kind of cracks me up, because Cussler doesn’t even really try to hide it. I mean, Pitt lives in a converted airplane hanger, and Austin lives in a converted boat house. Same guy, different day. Also, Cussler didn’t make his usual cameo appearance in this one.

Book count: 86
Pages in book: 416
Page count: 36,969
Words in book: 119,334
Word count: 11,052,921

1,000,000 words surpassed — 2/2/06
2,000,000 words surpassed — 2/14/06
10,000 pages surpassed — 3/10/06
3,000,000 words surpassed — 3/16/06
4,000,000 words surpassed — 4/3/06
5,000,000 words surpassed — 5/30/06
50 books surpassed — 6/12/06
20,000 pages surpassed — 6/29/06
6,000,000 words surpassed — 6/29/06
7,000,000 words surpassed — 7/21/06
8,000,000 words surpassed — 8/18/06
30,000 pages surpassed — 9/3/06
9,000,000 words surpassed — 9/6/06

10,000,000 words surpassed — 9/27/06
11,000,000 words surpassed — 10/9/06

2006: #73 – The Penultimate Peril (Lemony Snicket)

By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio, young adult; Tagged with ; August 31st, 2006

peril.gifBook #73 was The Penultimate Peril, the 12th book in Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events. The back of the book reads:

Dear Reader,

If this is the first book you found while searching for a book to read next, then the first thing you should know is that this next-to-last book is what you should put down first. Sadly, this book presents the penultimate chronicle of the lives of the Baudelaire orphans, and the first thing you should know about this next-to-last book is that it is next-to-first in its supply of misery, despair, and unpleasantness.

Probably the next-to-last things you would like to read about are the first things you would encounter in this next-to-last book, including a harpoon gun, a rooftop sunbathing salon, two mysterious initials, three unidentified triplets, a notorious villain, an unsavory curry, and several people you might find distressingly familiar and familiarly distressing.

Next-to-last things are the first thing to be avoided, and so allow me to recommend that you put this next-to-last book down first, and find something else to read next at last, such as the next-to-last book in another chronicle, or a chronicle containing other next-to-last things, so that this next-to-last book does not become the next-to-last book you will read.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

I don’t think I’ve properly expressed how great I think these books are. They are books meant for 9 year old and up, and they use words like penultimate! Correctly! They are interesting, exciting, deliciously dark, and so so so intelligent. I’m a bit sad that there’s only one book left in the series, but I’m enjoying how everything is starting to wrap up.

Book count: 73
Pages in book: 368
Page count: 29,705
Words in book: 50,731
Word count: 8,654,359

1,000,000 words surpassed — 2/2/06
2,000,000 words surpassed — 2/14/06
10,000 pages surpassed — 3/10/06
3,000,000 words surpassed — 3/16/06
4,000,000 words surpassed — 4/3/06
5,000,000 words surpassed — 5/30/06
50 books surpassed – 6/12/06
20,000 pages surpassed — 6/29/06
6,000,000 words surpassed — 6/29/06
7,000,000 words surpassed — 7/21/06
8,000,000 words surpassed — 8/18/06

2006: #67 – The Grim Grotto (Lemony Snicket); #68 – Letters from an Age of Reason (Nora Hague); #69 – The Deep (Peter Benchley)

By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio, historical - 1800s, suspense, young adult; Tagged with , , ; August 25th, 2006

grotto.gifBook #67 was The Grim Grotto, book the eleventh in Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events. The back of the book reads:

Dear Reader,

Unless you are a slug, a sea anemone, or mildew, you probably prefer not to be damp. You might also prefer not to read this book, in which the Baudelaire siblings encounter an unpleasant amount of dampness as they descend into the depths of despair, underwater.

In fact, the horrors they encounter are too numerous to list, and you wouldn’t want me to even mention the worst of it, which includes mushrooms, a desperate search for something lost, a mechanical monster, a distressing message from a lost friend, and tap dancing.

As a dedicated author who has pledged to keep recording the depressing story of the Baudelaires, I must continue to delve deep into the cavernous depths of the orphans’ lives. You, on the other hand, may delve into some happier book in order to keep your eyes and your spirits from being dampened.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

These books just keep getting better. The Baudelaire children are even getting love interests! There was even very near death in this one. The storyline is really starting to come together. I’m almost sad that there are only 2 books left.

Book count: 67
Pages in book: 323
Page count: 27,231
Words in book: 48,526
Word count: 7,910,789

reason.gifBook #68 was Letters from an Age of Reason, by Nora Hague. The back of the book reads:

n eloquent debut novel set amid two historical hotbeds of racial tension, moral hypocrisy, and shifting sexual convention

Miss Arabella Leeds, the high-spirited teenage daughter of a prominent New York family, and Aubrey “Brie” Paxton, the “high yellow” pampered house servant of wealthy French-American slave-holders, are destined to fall in love.

They are each bound for London, where their chance meeting will transform both of their lives. But before their paths can cross, they will experience high adventure, erotic awakening, and the discovery of long-buried family secrets amid the salacious underpinnings of corseted Victorian society. And as the Civil War drenches America in blood, it will be their passion, unstoppable and forbidden, that will challenge both Arabella and Brie to rethink what freedom means and what love costs . . . as their bond places them forever outside the mores and conventions of their time.

This was a very good book. The writing style was interesting — everything was in the form of letters and journal entries. Different fonts were used to indicate different authors. I got so wrapped up in the characters that I was dismayed when the story ended just as I felt it was beginning! I’m hoping her second book is a continuation.

Book count: 68
Pages in book: 656
Page count: 27,887
Words in book: 300,014
Word count: 8,210,803

deep.gifBook #69 was The Deep, by Peter Benchley. The back of the book reads:

On a perfect day in Bermuda a honeymooning couple dives into the offshore reefs. They are looking for the wreck of a sunken ship. What they find is surprising. It lures them into a mysterious and increasingly dangerous encounter, a relentless struggle for survival. Now, open this book. Discover for yourself the action, the meance–the hidden underwater world of the Deep.

This was different from other Benchley books I’ve read. If you don’t recognize the name, this is the guy who wrote Jaws. His other books that I’ve read have all involved some sort of creature. The only evil creature in this book is man. Not a bad read — nice and quick. My only complaint is that I liked the main character better before any of his background was explained. Really, the guy was kind of a jerk.

Book count: 69
Pages in book: 291
Page count: 28,178
Words in book: 82,062
Word count: 8,292,865

1,000,000 words surpassed — 2/2/06
2,000,000 words surpassed — 2/14/06
10,000 pages surpassed — 3/10/06
3,000,000 words surpassed — 3/16/06
4,000,000 words surpassed — 4/3/06
5,000,000 words surpassed — 5/30/06
50 books surpassed – 6/12/06
20,000 pages surpassed — 6/29/06
6,000,000 words surpassed — 6/29/06
7,000,000 words surpassed — 7/21/06
8,000,000 words surpassed — 8/18/06

2006: #60 – The Slippery Slope (Lemony Snicket)

By Jaime Filed in action/adventure, audio, young adult; Tagged with ; July 19th, 2006

slope.gifBook #60 was The Slippery Slope, book the tenth in Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events. The back of the book reads:

Dear Reader,Like handshakes, house pets, or raw carrots, many things are preferable when not slippery. Unfortunately, in this miserable volume, I am afraid that Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire run into more than their fair share of slipperiness during their harrowing journey up — and down — a range of strange and distressing mountains.In order to spare you any further repulsion, it would be best not to mention any of the unpleasant details of this story, particularly a secret message, a toboggan, a deceitful trap, a swarm of snow gnats, a scheming villain, a troupe of organized youngsters, a covered casserole dish, and a surprising survivor of a terrible fire.

Unfortunately, I have dedicated my life to researching and recording the sad tale of the Baudelaire Orphans. There is no reason for you to dedicate yourself to such things, and you might instead dedicate yourself to letting this slippery book slip from your hands into a nearby trash receptacle, or deep pit.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Still great! There were a few great surprises in this one. Sunny continues to grow up, and the Baudelaires find a new(ish) friend. I even thought that things were going to be looking up for the orphans, but I should have known better.

Book count: 60
Pages in book: 337
Page count: 24,8166
Words in book: 53,611
Word count: 6,937,105

1,000,000 words surpassed — 2/2/06
2,000,000 words surpassed — 2/14/06
10,000 pages surpassed — 3/10/06
3,000,000 words surpassed — 3/16/06
4,000,000 words surpassed — 4/3/06
5,000,000 words surpassed — 5/30/06
50 books surpassed – 6/12/06
20,000 pages surpassed — 6/29/06
6,000,000 words surpassed — 6/29/06

Read Previous Entries

Copyright © Confessions of a Bibliophile
Book Reviews and a Little More…

Built on Notes Blog Core
Powered by WordPress