Once again I’ve read a book by an author who is new to me. Certainly, I’ve heard of James Patterson, as he is one of the most popular novelists in existence, however, I had never read one of his books. I have seen a couple of movies based on his books such as Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls.
Right off, a couple of things I really like about this book:
- short chapters
- fast moving story
- interesting plot, although fairly predictable
Although there was really no “earth-shattering” ending, it still was a super enjoyable read. I’ve begun to really like books like this, that are easy to read, with fast moving stories. I’m not sure I could see a blockbuster movie coming from this, but it was still good enough that I’m interested in reading more books by this author.
The story is about Nora Sinclair who leads a double life. She marries rich men, then poisons them to death, taking their money. FBI agent, O’Hara, goes undercover to investigate, where he is caught between his investigation and falling in love.
Categories: Book Reviews · Books · Fiction · James Patterson · Novels · Thriller
This review is different. Instead of reviewing a book, I’m reviewing a website that is all about brilliantly written short stories. Very Short Novels is a site that claims a novel with more than 299 words is a waste. What I like about these stories, is that they are so concentrated, that there is no detail that is not needed, and you have to pay attention to every word or you’ll miss the whole point. How’s that for a “very short” review? Check it out!
Categories: Fiction · Novels
This past week, I had the pleasure of reading “Life Expectancy” by Dean Koontz. The story is about Jimmy Tock. On his deathbead, his grandfather predicts that Jimmy will have five dark days in his life that he should be prepared for. He names off the dates and dies. At the moment of his death, little Jimmy Tock enters the world. When those days approach, Jimmy and his family are bracing themselves for whatever bad things lie ahead. Each day is filled with excruciating obstacles that are all intertwined with one another. The story is original, and interesting. I think I would have liked it even more had it been the first Koontz novel I’ve ever read, but many things seemed very familiar.
The Down Side
What I didn’t particularly like about the book was the similarities(in writing style) between this book and Odd Thomas. Perhaps it’s because it hasn’t been very long since I read Odd Thomas. They are both written in first person as the character has written an autobiography. They also have very similar personalities, in that they live very simple lives(Odd is a fry cook, Jimmy is a baker) and the way that humor weaves into the story amidst tragic circumstances. Jimmy does not see dead people, but like Odd, he is on a first-name basis with the local sheriff. I’m not trying to run the book down, because I did enjoy reading it. I just think it would have impacted my mind a little harder had I not read (the excellent)Odd Thomas so recently.
Categories: Book Reviews · Books · Dean Koontz · Fiction · Novels
I may be way behind the times here, I don’t know. But, I just discovered this cool website called Shelfari. You set up an account, and you have your own “shelf”. You add your books to your shelf and that lets other members see what books you read. You can make friends based on similar reading and give and get recommendations. It’s a smooth site and very “Web 2.0“. I suppose you could call it a social network, but it’s concentrated only on people with similar reading interest. You can leave comments about books, and find what other people had to say about a book before you read it. It’s comments, not really reviews. Anyway, I like it and thought I’d share.
Categories: Books · Fiction · Novels · Uncategorized
I saw this over at Junk Mail Gems which is a website that has all sorts of projects and uses for junk mail.
I guess with a little creativity, you can find a use for most anything.
